


in the middle

by starlight_sugar



Category: Campaign (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Animal Shelters, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-20 06:58:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17017929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlight_sugar/pseuds/starlight_sugar
Summary: But the fourth mystery that bothers Aava, for reasons that she can’t put her finger on, is that she can’t figure out if Hot Mailman is a cat person or a dog person.





	in the middle

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is part of the AUcember series, a self-made challenge where I try to write a new AU one-shot every day. You can read all of the AUcember fics in the collection linked above.
> 
> The title of this fic comes from [In The Middle](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i0VZCoM5gI) by Dodie Clark.
> 
> Thank you to Tam, who inadvertently inspired this by saying "Aava is Catwoman."

From: Leenik   
hot mailman is back

To: Leenik   
Again?

From: Leenik   
was he here already today???

To: Leenik   
yeah he was here this morning to look at kittens

From: Leenik   
oh

From: Leenik   
well he’s playing with puppies now

From: Leenik   
also i don’t think he has any actual mail with him

To: Leenik   
Does he ever have actual mail with him?

From: Leenik   
i mean

From: Leenik   
eventually he has to bring us mail right??

To: Leenik   
Maybe.

To: Leenik   
Take lots of pictures of him with puppies

 

#

 

Hot Mailman - whose real name is Trystan, which Aava knows because Leenik asked - is kind of a mystery. First off, there’s the fact that he’s hot, which is its own weird mystery. He’s not Aava’s type, and Aava didn’t even realize that Leenik had a type, but the first time Hot Mailman walked into the shelter both of them had been a little dumbstruck.

(“It’s not weird to flirt with the mailman, right?” Leenik asked pensively, not two seconds after the door swung shut. “Like, it’d be weird if I flirted with you, but it’s not weird if it’s him, because he’s not really a coworker. So that’s not weird, right?”

“Right,” Aava agreed. “And it’s not weird if both of us flirt with him, either.”

Leenik made a face. “You and I don’t flirt the same.”

“Your idea of flirting is how most people make friends.”

“And it works for me! Sometimes.”

“Mmmmhm,” Aava said, and Leenik rolled his eyes like she knew he would, and Aava grinned.)

Second of all, there’s the fact that he comes in constantly without mail. Aava and Leenik are the shelter’s only two full-time employees, and the rest of it is volunteer-run, so at least one of them is always in the office, and they sign for a lot of packages. Which isn’t unusual, but then Hot Mailman started dropping by without packages. Just to say hi. And, occasionally, to play with their adoptable animals.

(After his third visit, Aava mentioned offhand that she always preferred the cats, that she had a couple at home. Trystan had nodded as he absorbed this, and then said abruptly, “What about the other guy? The one who coordinates all the volunteers?”

“Leenik? He’s a dog guy, through and through.”

“I would’ve guessed,” Trystan admitted, and Aava tilted her head at him, and decided not to ask why he was trying to guess anything about Leenik.)

The third mystery - and this is Leenik’s addition to the list, because it’s something that Aava is totally willing to accept at face value - is that he flirts with both of them. Without abandon. It’s something that Leenik despairs over, because he doesn’t know what it means. Aava, well, she’s a simple woman, and she likes guys like Trystan. He’s sweet, and he’s sweet to Leenik, and that last one goes a long way.

But the fourth mystery, the one that bothers Aava for reasons that she can’t put her finger on, is that she can’t figure out if Hot Mailman is a cat person or a dog person. It’s not like it keeps her up at night, but most people have a pretty strong preference one way or the other. But not him.

 

#

 

“You all ever get any lizards in?” Tryst asks abruptly, about a month into his thrice-daily visits.

Aava and Leenik exchange a Look. People ask about weird animals all the time - Aava’s go-to story at parties is the story of the woman who was furious that the shelter didn’t have racehorses - but this is either a weird long con or a genuine question.

“Not normally,” Aava says at last. “Mostly people bring in furry things.”

“Or birds,” Leenik adds, which is also true. “A lot of people mix us up with animal control.”

Aava sighs. “We don’t even have a van.”

“Yet,” Leenik says, with a lot more confidence than Aava feels. She glances up at him, from where he’s sitting on the front desk counter, and he shrugs. “Never say never.”

Tryst looks between the two of them, looking amused. “So that’s a no on the lizards?”

“It’s a not yet.” Leenik cocks his head. “I wouldn’t have pegged you for a lizard person.”

“Not me,” Tryst says. This is an actual package-delivery visit, and there’s a package sitting on the counter of the front desk, but nobody’s signing for it and he’s not really asking. He drums his fingers on it. “My, uh - well, the relations are complicated, but we’re just gonna call him my nephew. He’s going through this lizard phase, which I don’t remember going through as a kid, but maybe it’s just the prequel to a dinosaur phase.”

Aava shrugs and wheels her chair out from behind the computer to get a better look at him. “Kids are weird. I had a colonial America phase. Mostly the witch trials.”

“I had a pit bull phase,” Leenik offers.

Aava shoots him a look. “You own a pit bull.”

“I am still in a pit bull phase.”

Tryst chuckles. Aava gives him the most careful, most scrutinizing look that she can. He doesn’t look like he’s laughing at them, per se. Mostly like… well, like he’s actually enjoying being around them. “I had a pirate phase,” he says. “Drove my sisters up a wall, mostly because I used to go digging through their bedrooms for treasure.”

A laugh bursts out of Aava, so sharp and unexpected that she claps both hands over her mouth. Tryst and Leenik both give her looks of amazement, because odds are neither of them have heard her make that sound before. But goddammit, that’s charming. That’s a cute family anecdote, and Aava wants to hear more of his cute family anecdotes, what the fuck.

Leenik recovers first, turning back to Tryst. “I got really into NASA for a little while. My brother bought me all these T-shirts and action figures and stuff.”

It’s all Aava can do not to let her jaw drop. It’d taken Leenik the better part of a year to tell her about his brother. He’s come a long way, and she knows that, but it’s something else entirely to see him casually talking about his brother.

Tryst, who has no goddamn clue that Leenik has just shared his equivalent of a wealth of personal information, nods casually. “I think my sisters mostly just wanted me to stop. But one of them bought me this book about secret agents, and about postmen carrying secret codes. And now-” he shrugs. “I’m technically a government employee.”

“Mazel tov,” Aava says as coolly as she can manage. It’s nowhere near her normal level of cool, which Tryst doesn’t notice and Leenik definitely does. “You’re the best delivery guy we’ve had.”

“Nicer than the other ones,” Leenik says, which is a lot more to-the-point than he normally gets. Aava is absurdly proud of him.

Tryst grins. It’s the kind of debonair, suave grin that Aava would normally roll her eyes at, but she actually ends up smiling back, god, what’s happening to her? “I’m technically not supposed to say this, but you guys are my favorite customers.” He pauses. “Clients? Customers? People I see?”

“People,” Leenik suggests. “Just people.”

Tryst’s grin goes soft around the edges. “You’re on the list,” he says, and before Aava can think about what  _ that _ means, he holds out his digital signature pad. “I’ve gotta hit the road, but if you could-”

“Of course.” Aava reaches up to take it and sign. “It was good seeing you again, Trystan.”

“Come back soon,” Leenik adds, absurdly. Tryst turns and gives him a look - mostly out of Aava’s line of sight, but she can see an arched eyebrow - and Leenik flushes slightly.

Tryst just shrugs and looks at them both one last time. “I will,” he says, surprisingly sincere, and he’s out the door before either of them can interact.

Aava drums her fingers on the table. “What’re you thinking, Nikki?”

“He’s definitely hitting on you,” Leenik says resolutely. “Definitely you.”

“I think he’s hitting on both of us, actually.”

There’s a pause as Leenik considers this before saying, aghast, “Why?”

“Boy knows where his bread is buttered?”

If anything, Leenik looks more aghast at that. “You buttered his bread already?”

“What? No, I don’t even have his phone number.”

“You don’t even have his phone number?”

“What, you do?”

“Of course I do!”

“You haven’t mentioned that at all,” Aava says slowly.

Leenik shrugs. “He visits while you’re here more often,” he says, not quite sullenly but pretty close. “And I wanted to talk to him too.”

Aava nods slowly, absorbing this. Trystan does tend to visit Aava more in person, although it’s hard to say how much of that is because of their schedules lining up. He seems to like talking to both of them, though. He visits them both, after all.

“This is weird, right?” Leenik leans down, putting his hand near Aava’s, and she absently rests hers on top of it. “Like, he’s- what’s he doing?”

“I think he’s just hitting on the people he likes.”

“People?”

Aava shrugs. “Stranger things have happened.”

“Aava,” Leenik says, “you’re my best friend, and I think it’s only fair to say that I don’t really want to have sex with you. Just so you know.”

“Leenik.” Aava squeezes his hand. “Honey, you’re my best friend, and I think it’s only fair to remind you that you have told me that, more than once.”

He shrugs. “It feels like it might actually be relevant this time, though.”

Aava pauses and thinks about him, and Tryst, and the way Tryst looks at them both. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” she says at last, and Leenik looks a little bit relieved.

 

#

 

From: Leenik   
To: Aava, 661-283-9301   
okay now that we’re all gathered here together i have a question for tryst

Tryst named the conversation:  **i’ll think of a pun about animal shelters later**

From: Tryst   
shoot

From: Aava   
Why is this conversation happening over text, he was in here ten minutes ago

From: Leenik   
would you consider yourself a cat person or a dog person

From: Tryst   
do I have to pick

From: Tryst   
I’ve always liked both

From: Leenik   
interesting

From: Tryst   
that’s ominous

From: Aava   
No, it’s a good thing

From: Leenik   
a very good thing

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on Tumblr and Twitter @waveridden!


End file.
